Nucleic acid amplification technologies, such as a polymerase chain reaction (hereinafter, referred to as “PCR”) that requires a temperature change in reaction liquid amplification and detection processes and a loop mediated isothermal amplification method (hereinafter, referred to as “LAMP method”) that does not require a temperature change in reaction liquid amplification and detection processes, have been used for amplification and quantification of nucleic acids contained in samples originating in living organisms. For nucleic acid amplification, PCR requires periodically changing a sample temperature in typically about two to three temperature regions. For example, a typical PCR is performed as follows: the sample temperature is heated up to 94° C. to separate the double strands, followed by annealing at 60° C., and the sample temperature is kept at 60° C. to 72° C. for a few minutes. This PCR process is repeated by n times to amplify a target nuclear acid. On the other hand, in the LAMP method, reaction proceeds at a constant temperature of 60° C. to 65° C. As described above, amplification is made within a certain constant temperature range as described above in the LAMP method. However, since it is important to control temperatures of a plurality of reaction vessels, the present invention can be applied to the LAMP method. Further, an amplification temperature may differ depending on a sample to be used.
In order to realize such a periodic temperature control method in PCR, PTL 1 listed below discloses a device that includes regions maintained at different set temperatures and a disc-shaped sample holder, wherein the sample temperature is periodically changed by rotation of the disc.
However, in the PCR, the temperature and time required for the annealing reaction of binding primers to their complementary sequences in the detection target base sequences differ depending on the sequences. The temperature and time required for extension reaction also differ depending on a type of an enzyme to be added. Thus, if the detection target base sequences, specifically a plurality of reaction liquids of different protocols are to be simultaneously processed, a nucleic acid amplification device having settings for the temperature and time specified by the protocol is needed in the same number as the number of the protocols to be simultaneously processed.
There is known a technology that includes a plate for holding a plurality of samples and that evenly controls temperature over the whole plate. However, the PCR involves a temperature cycle consisting of denaturation reaction, annealing reaction, and extension reaction, and an analysis is finished after repeating a certain number of cycles. In the technology to evenly control temperature over the whole plate, an analysis of a new sample cannot be started once an analysis of a sample is started and until the analysis ends, even when the protocols are the same. This is problematic, because obtaining an analysis result for the new sample takes a long time.
Further, as described above, this technology is operated in a batch mode in a device that includes a plate for holding a plurality of samples and that evenly controls temperature over the whole plate, so that a temperature locality disadvantageously appears in the plate.